Ornamental clasp



Feb. 21, 1956 D. K. HHUSTON 2,735,150

ORNAMENTAL CLASP Filed Oct. 14, 1952 PID]. 1

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ORNAMENTAL CLASP Doris K. Huston, Indianapolis, Ind. Application October 14, 1952, Serial No. 314,672

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-85) This invention relates to an ornamental clasp or guard for use particularly with shoulder bags.

As is well known, it is ditricult to keep the straps of shoulder bags in position on the shoulder of the user. They are very much inclined to slide and fall off. Furthermore, the user frequently adjusts the strap in the belief that it is about 'to slide or fall off the shoulder even though there may actually be little likelihood that it will do so. In short, the strap of the shoulder bag can be a nuisance. It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a guard which will retain the strap in the desired position thereby relieving the user of the worry or concern connected with shoulder bags.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a guard which is of such character and construction that the strap clasping portion thereof is masked or hidden from view by an ornamental mounting.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device which can be put in position and retained there with a minimum of etfort, and which can be opened and shut to admit or release the shoulder bag strap with ease.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a guard which may be effectively used as a piece of costume jewelry when not being employed for its primary purpose.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a guard which is of such construction that a strap of any width or thickness may readily be accommodated.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention shown laid out in open, extended position.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the structure shown in Fig. 1 when in pinned up position.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through a modified form of the invention in pinned up position.

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through a further, modified form of the invention in pinned up position.

In the drawings the ornamental or masking portion of the clasp is shown at 10. There is, of course, no intention of limiting that portion to the design shown in the drawings. The primary significance of the portion re sides in the fact that it masks the working mechanism or mounting of the invention.

The mounting is shown in open extended position in Fig. 1 and in pinned up position in Fig. 2. The mounting includes base plate 11 which is secured to a stud 12 depending from the under surface of the ornamental portion. Projecting from one end of the base plate is a pair of opposed spaced ears 13 having eyelets 13b formed therein. The ears are each turned inwardly towards each other at their extremities 13a to receive the garment prongs as hereinafter described. Pivotally connected to the eyelets is the shoulder bag strap retaining bar 14, it being elongated and flat and having hinge pintles 13c extending outwardly from the side edges thereof for renited States Patent a 2,735,150 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 ception within said eyelets or apertures 13b. This bar is bifurcated as at 15 and a hook 16 is formed on the upper face of the bar adjacent the bifurcation. Connected to the hook at one end is a spring 17 which urges the bar into clamping relation with the shoulder bag strap S. The other end of the spring is connected to a hook 18 which may be formed at the end of one of the projections of the ornamental portion. The connection of this spring to the bar and to the hook is normally above the plane of said hinge pintles as shown in Fig. 2. The spring mounting is thus of over-center character which, of course, means that when the bar is pivoted away from the ornamental portion a certain distance, the spring will then urge the bar rapidly to open position. On the other hand, as the bar is forcibly moved towards the ornamental portion, it will be rapidly urged into engagement with that portion or with the strap once the bar passes beyond the over-center position. The spring then will retain the bar in clamping relation as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to retain the ornamental portion in place upon a coat or garment there are provided the prongs 19 which may be extended through the garment identified as T in the drawings. The free ends of the prongs are laterally flexed so that they will be in latching engagement with the inturned ends 13a of the ears 13. Connected to the prongs, which are integrally formed and substantially U- shaped as shown in Fig. 1, is the friction member or cam 23. This member has a pair of laterally extending pins or pintles 21 which pivotally connect the friction member to the cars 22 projecting from the free end of the bar. Disposed between the last mentioned pair of opposed ears and secured to the retaining bar is a plate 20 having a convex portion 20a with which the friction or cam member is engageable and upon which it rides between locked and unlocked position. When the prongs are in the position shown in Fig. 2 the friction member 23 that is integral therewith will be in engagement with the convex portion 20a. In order for the prongs to be pivoted downwardly from that position it will be necessary to apply a little pressure in order to swing the friction member past the raised or convex surface 20a. Once this is done the prongs will remain in an open position until such a time as the same amount of pressure is applied to once again force the friction member past the convex portion.

In applying or attaching the invention, the prongs will first be stuck into the coat or other garment at the desired point with the free end of the bar extending inwardly towards the neck of the user. Once the invention is thus pinned to the garment, the strap of the shoulder bag will be properly located upon the bar whereupon the ornamental portion may be folded over to clasp the strap in place.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified form of the invention wherein the ornamental masking portion is shown at 110. Secured to that portion and underlying it is the plate 111 which is pivotally connected to the ears 112 which are integral with plate 113. A portion of plate 111 is bent upwardly as at 114. This portion bears upon and is capable of sliding over projection 115 of plate 113. In short, the projection serves as a spring to bias the ornamental portion into clamping engagement with the shoulder bag strap S.

Secured in any suitable manner to plate 113 is ring 116 which helps to keep the strap from slipping laterally out of the clasp.

Depending from the ring are the ears 117. Pivotally secured thereto is the frictional clamp mechanism shown and described in connection with the preferred embodiment of the invention. It includes the prongs 118 which 3 are extended through the coat or garment T and the triction member 119 that engages the convex surface 120.

In use, this modification operates similarly to the other. The ornamental portion is cfirst folded back to expose the mounting portion. The prongs are then stuck through the coat or garment, following which the strap is properly located and the ornamental portion folded over to retain it in place.

A still further modification of the invention is shown in Fig. 4 wherein the ornamental portion is shown at 210,,

it having the depending ears 211. A bar 212 is hinged to the ears. Projecting upwardly from the upper face of the bar is the hook 213. A second hook 214 is'secured to the-ornamental portion. These books serve as anchoring points for the spring 215 which normally biases the ornamental portion into engagement with shoulder bag strap S. In order to make sure the strap does not slide out, there is provided stop means in the form of an upwardly extending element 216 formed on the upper face of the bar. This element, in cooperation with the scalloped contour 217 of the under face of the ornamental portion, acts as stop means to prevent the strap from slipping or sliding laterally while the shoulder bag is being carried.

Depending from one end of the bar is a pair of opposed ears 218 to which are pivotally secured the prongs 219. The garment or coat through which the prongs are extended is shown at T. A hooked catch 220 retains the prongs in coat or garment locked position. This modification of the invention is applied or attached to a garment- 4 restrictive incharacter, it being" understood that these modifications as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to personsskilled in this art, are all considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

In an ornamental clasp for a shoulder bag strap, an elongated fiat retaining bar having a convex portion at one end thereof, spaced apertured ears projecting from said bar end, hinge pintles extending outwardly from the side edges of said bar at the opposite end thereof, a masking portion having spaced apertured ears projecting from one end thereof, the last mentioned apertures pivotally receiving said hinge pintles, a hook projecting from said masking portion beyond said pintles and disposed between said last mentioned apertured ears, a spring connected at one end to the upper face of said flat bar and at its opposite end to said hook, the connection of the spring to-saidyhar; and to said hook, beingnormally above the plane of said hinge-pintles, -a-cammember having laterally extending pintles-engaged in. the apertures of said first mentionedeargsaid cam member having a side to frictionally;engage--theadiacent face of.-said convex portion, andprongssecured to. and projecting from the oppositesideof-saidcam member.

References \Cited in the. file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

340,804 McGill Apr. 27, 1886 500,864 Day July 4, 1893 1,027,527 Davis May 28, 1912 1,917,325 Placco July 11, 1933 

